KITTY!
by Obsidian Abyss
Summary: Kuroko lived a lonely life at home when he was not working with children in school. So Aida gave him a basket with a heterochromatic eyed red kitty in it. Seems normal right? ...Right?
1. Innocence of a Kitten

**KITTY!**

Kuroko lived a lonely life at home when he was not working with children in school. So Riko gave him a basket with a heterochromatic eyed red kitty in it. Seems normal right? ...Right?

Pairing: Akashi x Kuroko

Disclaimer: I don't own KuroBasu!

AN: I like cats when they're not trying to claw my eyes out. And I like using Riko to make the characters of my OTP meet :D

* * *

**Chapter 1**

"Bye, bye, Tetsu-nii!" Two kids waved at the bluenette before they walked away with their beloved family.

"See you tomorrow, Tetsu-nii!" A young boy hugged him before running off to see his father who was just by the door of the classroom.

Kuroko smiled lightly as he received more bye-bye hugs before he finally found himself alone in the room. He still had to gather all the papers, clean whatever mess was left and arrange the chairs and tables since they had played a game a while ago.

The bluenette quietly grouped the sheets of paper while he listened to his colleagues chat a little about their personal life outside of the room. It seems that they already finished their work and were all ready to go home.

"My husband and I will be going out tonight with my children and grandchildren." An old woman smiled sincerely. "I haven't seen my children for a while now since they all got married and moved out to start their families. It's nice to be able to see them again."

"I hope you have an enjoyable night then," A man replied before he sipped his cup of coffee. "I'll be going to a reunion this coming weekend because a few college friends of mine who went abroad finally came back to Japan to visit."

A young woman chuckled. "Wow, it seems that you all have your schedules packed. I have no plans as of yet and I'm only staying home with my younger siblings. Maybe I'll plan something with them to visit my parents in the province."

The teachers were still chatting happily amongst themselves when Kuroko finished his work. The bluenette gathered all the papers he had to check and placed them all in his black messenger's bag. Kuroko walked out of the classroom without being noticed by his colleagues and locked the doors then checked it before leaving for home.

* * *

_Creee-aaaak_

Kuroko's eye twitched in slight annoyance at the raspy sound the old door made as he pushed it open. He turned on the switch beside the door as he closed and locked the entrance. The bluenette swiftly walked through the living room and immediately fell down to the welcoming arms of his sofa that had incredibly soft and fluffy pillows on it.

"Ah…." The bluenette hummed in comfort as he stretched his arms before snuggling himself on the pillow. "I haven't felt this stressed since the incident where one of the students jumped into a stranger's car a month ago. That almost gave me a heart attack. Thank goodness that person noticed the child before he went straight to Kyoto."

He closed his eyes, trying to clear his mind of all the stress he had gone through today and made himself relax in the silence his home offered.

There were times he wished it wasn't so silent though. Even with having to teach and take care of young children with endless amounts of energy and mischievous minds, it was still a lot of fun to talk with the energetic bundles of joy and coming home to a completely silent home makes him….There he say it –

Lonely.

Back then as a high school student, he didn't notice it that much. His friends from Middle School and from High School would come and visit at random times actually. Initially it felt annoying but as time went by, they came so often that Kuroko would always have to prepare something in advance (it was pretty nice of Kagami and Mitobe to teach him some recipes that didn't include using eggs) and occasionally prepare a few extra futons if they would like to sleepover.

The bluenette was happy and content with it all –

Even when his father passed away from a disease just a week after he graduated from high school and his mother died of depression just a couple of months after but through all of that, his friends were there (since they somehow found out about it).

It was during and after college when they didn't see one another that often anymore.

His best friend during middle school, Aomine, became a capable and reliable policeman who was known for playing basketball with the young troubled teens he would come across (and for frequently sleeping on the job). They rarely ever met since he worked in a different district and his time shirts were always changing which left the young man considerably tired after work.

Kise was always out and about since he was a pilot (he's currently somewhere in Middle East if Kuroko remembered correctly). The cheery blonde would send some souvenirs back since he couldn't give it personally. Kise would also send some pictures and emails about the tourist spots and the delicacies of the country. An hour before every lift off, Kise would text him where he was going next and Kuroko would always respond with "Be careful Kise-kun, I want you to have a safe trip."

Midorima was always busy with all the patients he would receive but even then, the emerald eyed doctor would always find time to bring his lucky item no matter how ridiculous it was. They would talk chat with each other online sometimes and the conversation would usually end with Midorima giving him a very detailed lecture about eating healthy and a list of food he should eat for the week.

"_I want to make sure that the children's teacher will be in top shape so you have to follow this regimen. It's not like I want you to – "_

He's still an adorable tsundere even after all these years.

Murasakibara's schedule was always full due to all the orders he would get since his pastries were absolutely divine (the purple haired giant would send some vanilla flavored pastries every now and then) and sometimes he would forget that the pastry was for a customer and would end up eating it himself.

Kuroko's friends from high school were busy as well. His former coach was currently in charge of the Aida Gym and was screaming everyone's ears off for not following the instructions she would give them to improve their physical attributes.

Kagami was a fireman who sometimes met up with Aomine with their hectic time shifts. They usually see each other in Maji Burger during their breaks. The tall American returnee was still as hot headed as he was before (if not a little more).

Kiyoshi and Hyuga happen to be working in the same publishing company and department (literature). To say that his former captain was annoyed was an understatement. But from what he's heard, those two's teamwork made the publishing company's reputation go skyrocket.

Mitobe works at a sushi shop while Koganei sells books and manga in the book store beside the sushi shop so they see each other very often.

Tsuchida is working as a successful architect and his current project is to design a few more buildings and another gymnasium for Seirin High. It seems that the project includes the former first year trio as well.

And as his friends grow closer to one another, Kuroko Tetsuya finds himself in a predicament about his social life after school.

"I never would have thought that I would worry about such trivial matters now." Kuroko mumbled to himself as he hugged the pillow. "I was always the unnoticed 'phantom' who was known for being a loner. I never really concerned myself about it before. This must be a side-effect of having friends. If you don't see them for a while, you'll feel a strange empty feeling."

"….. Is that normal?" He asked to no one in particular.

* * *

"_Hissss!"_ A red blur jumped out of the basket that Aida was currently holding and ran straight to the other direction in an attempt to escape.

"Oh no, you don't!" The brunette did not feel any guilt or remorse as she stepped on the tail of the retreating figure which caused the small figure to snarl venomously while glaring its heterochromatic eyes at her. It even tried to claw her shoe! Good thing she wasn't wearing slippers.

'_This thing just has to be the kitty version of the devil!'_ She thought suspiciously as she picked up the cat that finally calmed down but was still glaring daggers at her.

"Mrowl," The cute kitten placed its small paw on Aida's nose before slapping it hard without using its claws. The feline knew that the brunette would've dropped him if he did that and even if he could fall with grace and on his feet, that didn't mean that it wouldn't come with pain.

The brunette shoved the growling kitten back into the basket and started walking in a faster pace to her friend's place. She didn't want to be with the monstrous feline any longer!

"I thought you were a cute fluffy little kitty when I saw you in the pet shop the other day," Aida muttered to herself as she walked through the neighborhood. "No wonder that owner wanted to get rid of you that quickly! You're the devil in disguise! Using those big eyes of yours to get what you want."

"Meow." The cat purred in agreement while trying to get out of the basket once again.

Aida tsked. "You aren't getting out until I give you to my friend. Since you're one of those kitties that need a lot of attention, I'm sure that guy will have his hands full with you around."

"Nya."

"He's kinda like a loner you see," The brunette didn't know why she was explaining her friend's situation to a cat. For some odd reason, it felt like the red kitten could understand her. How peculiar. "He isn't that easily noticed so people tend to bump into him a lot and ignore him too. But now, he's a pretty good kindergarten teacher. The kids absolutely love him!"

"Mrow." She translated that as "_So what's the problem?"_

Aida huffed. "I haven't seen Kuroko for almost 2 months already. I've also asked his other friends if they've seen him and no, they haven't. Ever since we all graduated from college, everyone's been busy with work. I've known him since high school and he doesn't talk much unless necessary. Knowing that guy, he probably thinks it's not necessary for him to come to me or the others because he thinks work is more important to us."

"Kuroko's one of the sharpest guys I know but sometimes he can be an oblivious baka like Kagami." The brunette pinched her nose in irritation. "But that's where you'll come in!"

"Nya."

"You'll be his friend outside of his work area!" Aida smiled brightly. This was one of her best plans yet. Kuroko absolutely adored animals! "While the others and I try to fix our schedules, you'll be there to keep Kuroko busy! He's probably lonely after school so you're perfect for him!"

She ignored the growls as she swung the basket excitedly while she walked to the home of her kouhai.

* * *

_Ding dong!_

"Nnnn…." The bluenette grumbled as he put the pillow over his head. Who could be visiting at this hour?

_Ding dong! Ding dong!_

"Let me sleep…."

_**DIIIIIIING DOOOOONG**_

"I'm up, I'm up." Kuroko got up ungracefully and walked slowly to the entrance while trying to ignore the constant ringing of the door bell. He rubbed his eyes and shook his head to shake some of the drowsiness off before fixing himself up to look a little more presentable. He forgot to change clothes after work since he fell asleep in the sanctuary of his sofa.

The bluenette opened the door. "Good Evening, may I help y – "

"KUROKO!" The male froze as he was engulfed in a very tight hug. "I haven't seen you in a while! And you're still skinny! Have you been eating well? I hope you're not living on vanilla milkshakes only! I might set an appointment with Midorima if you are!"

"Aida-san…." Kuroko let out a chokey response in surprise. It was becoming very difficult for him to breathe. "Please…let go…"

"Ah, sorry!" Aida smiled apologetically as she let go of the bluenette who was trying to regain some air. "It's just I haven't seen you or heard from you for a while. You really should get a cell phone!"

"I don't really need one." Kuroko replied as he gestured for the brunette to come in. Aida skipped into his home and scanned it with her sharp eyes.

"Nothing much has changed from before." The former coach of Seirin pointed out as she sat on the slightly messed up sofa. "You're still not one for change of scenery, are you?"

"I'm very comfortable with what I have now so I don't think I have any reason to change anything." Kuroko reasoned, taking a seat next to the brunette.

"You're still in your work clothes." Aida noticed as she put her stuff down and whispered quietly to the cat in the basket to not say anything. "Did you just come home from work?"

"Actually, I fell asleep after coming home from work a few hours ago and I only woke up once I heard the door bell." The bluenette replied bluntly.

"Eh? Are you getting enough sleep? Or is the stress of taking care of children starting to take its toll on you?" Aida snickered as she added, "But I doubt it will make much of a difference for your appearance. You always did keep that baby face of yours. Sometimes I forget that you're only a year younger than me."

Kuroko pouted slightly when he heard that but kept his stoic expression on. "What are you doing here?"

"Always to the point," Aida muttered to herself before grabbing the basket and shoving it to the bluenette's arms. "I have a present for you!"

"….Why?" The brunette mentally smacked herself.

"Do I really need a reason to give my friend a gift?"

"If the gift is from you then yes." Blank eyes stared into those of the brunette.

The older female put her hands up with a chuckle. "Fine, you got me there." She opened the back pack she brought along with her and took out all the things she brought.

"Here! You'll need this!" She handed a small bag of shampoos, soaps and brushes. "And this," A large pack of pet food that probably took up most of the space of the brunette's back pack. "And these toys!" a couple of balls of yarn, a cat scratcher and a few other toys.

"What will I need all these for?" Kuroko asked in confusion.

"For your new cat who is currently in that basket!" Aida grinned without a care in the world. "Well, I've got to go!" She rushed to the door and waved. "See you!" And the door slammed shut with a loud bang.

"… She didn't even tell me why she gave me all these…." Kuroko muttered before setting them all down on the table and the basket was place directly in front of him. In that container was a little kitten waiting to be taken care of. Would he be a good owner? No, owner wasn't a good word for it. Friend? Companion? Was it alright for someone like him to take care of a cat?

'_Well, you take care of at least 30 very hyper 3-5 year old kids a day, how much difference can a single kitten make?'_ A voice in his head said. The bluenette agreed with the voice and besides, a kitten is pretty normal right?

Kuroko nodded to himself and opened the basket.

A red fluffy head with crimson and yellow eyes came out.

"Meow~" The kitten stared at Kuroko's blank icy blue eyes and silence filled the whole home once again. Both the cat and Kuroko did not look away from the other's curious gaze.

Though the bluenette seemed to be completely impassive about the fluffy animal, his mind was actually going haywire with the cuteness of the kitten in front of him.

After what seemed to be a decade, Kuroko picked up the red cat and pulled it close to his face.

"I like you already." In response, the kitten licked his nose.

* * *

_The next day_

"Kitty!" Kuroko called out as he placed a bowl of cat food and a bowl of milk on the floor. "Time to eat!" After saying that, he rushed around the house, grabbing all the checked papers and putting them all as neatly as he could in his messenger's bag.

The bluenette did not notice the kitten watching him in amusement while it quickly finished what was served to him. The red ball of fur stretched itself as Kuroko rushed around the house seizing all the things that he needed for school later while cleaning things up.

His home was a tidy place and he would very like to keep it that way.

"Cat hair here, cat hair there," Kuroko huffed at seeing the small red ball of fur for the 3rd time that morning. "Not as much as I expected though. This one's pretty easy to clean after…"

"Meow," The cute fluff nudged Kuroko's leg.

"Ah, yes?" The bluenette looked down and saw his school ID in the mouth of his new pet. "Thank you very much." He smiled slightly as he took the ID and patted the kitty. Kuroko turned around before he could notice the smug look on the cat's face.

"Ah, you're finished with your food." Kuroko swiped the two bowls up and quickly washed them before drying and putting them back into the drawer. There wasn't much of a difference in his daily routine.

Once everything was packed, Kuroko checked the time.

"Just in time," It usually took a 15 minute walk to get to school and he always came to school half an hour before the bell would ring. "Time to go – _Wait_ – Where's my bag?"

"Mee~oow." The bluenette snapped his head to the direction of his hopping bag that was beside the sofa. He could see a tail swishing in and out of the bag.

"What are you doing there?" Kuroko grabbed his bag and opened it to see heterochromatic eyes shining innocently at him.

"Nyaaa…" Kuroko mentally aww'ed at the cute scene in front of him.

"You want to come with me." It was a statement, not a question."

"Nya." The eyes looked like they were sparkling.

"Well…." Kuroko knew that teachers were allowed to bring pets in kindergarten to entertain and play with the students. So…. "Alright then." The cat pounced out of the bag and landed on his shoulder then climbed up his head.

"Meow!" The cat mewled victoriously before making himself comfortable on top of Kuroko's head.

He was spoiling the cat too much.

* * *

"Uwaaah! He's so cute!" A pig tailed girl squealed in delight as she stroked the red kitten. Kuroko watched the students interact with the kitten from afar.

"He has pretty eyes! Red and Yellow!" One of the kids pointed out as he took a closer look at the fluffy little feline. He was certainly enjoying the attention he was receiving.

"Are we allowed to play with him, Tetsu-nii?" The class asked in unison. The pleading tone could be heard loud and clear.

"Of course you are." Kuroko replied with a slight smile on his face when he heard the happy squeals coming from the children and a meow from the kitten.

"Let's play dress up!" A few kids sweatdropped because the last time they played dress up, all the girls _and boys_ had to wear dresses and gowns.

"No! We'll play dungeons and dragons!"

"No let's pretend we're a kingdom! And the kitty's the King!" Shouts of agreement were heard.

A blonde girl announced, "I'll be the princess!"

"We'll be the warriors!" A group of grinning boys said. "We'll protect the King!" A raven haired child carried the kitten and place him on top of the stack of pillows.

"I found a small crown that might fit his head!" One of the kids said as she took a small crown out of the box of toys.

"I'll use my clean handkerchief as his cape!" The crown was placed on the red kitty and the cape was tied a little loosely around the kitten's neck.

"Wait a minute, Tetsu-nii!" A child ran up to the bluenette and poked him a little to get his attention. "What's the name of your kitty?"

Kuroko mentally smacked himself. He forgot to name the kitten!

"Hm…." The older male walked to through the group of kids and looked a little closely at the red kitten. After a few moments of thinking, Kuroko thought of the perfect name for the cute bundle of joy.

"His name shall be, Aka (_Red_) Shi (_King_)." Kuroko announced as the kitten perked up. "Your King's name is Akashi."

For some reason, the kitten stared at him with an unreadable look on its face.

"All hail to King Akashi!" The kids bowed to the kitten before they started laughing amongst themselves.

"Tetsu-nii will be the queen!" Kuroko was about to speak against that but chose to keep his mouth shut and let the children have their fun. He did not notice that the kitten was still staring at him.

Kuroko watched closely as they started to pretend to be of royalty while others acted like warriors. It was cute to watch them especially when they carry the crowned kitten on their shoulders. They continued to run around and throw pillows at one another until...

_RING~~~_

"Nap time everyone," Kuroko said as he clapped his hands to get everyone's attention. "Put all the toys and pillows back to where you got them and arrange them properly!"

"Okay, Tetsu-nii!" The kids gathered all the stuff and did as they were told.

Kuroko walked to the his pet and took of the crown and gave the handkerchief back to his student.

"You seem to have enjoyed yourself, Akashi." The bluenette commented as the kitten climbed its way out of his arms and made itself comfortable again on his head. "You seem tired as well."

"Meeoow…" Kuroko chuckled quietly to himself before joining the kids in cleaning up

* * *

"Would you like to come to school again tomorrow, Akashi?" Kuroko asked after he sipped his vanilla milkshake. "The kids had fun playing with you today."

"Nya~" The kitten was currently relaxing on his shoulder. Occasionally licking his cheek as a sign of affection.

The bluenette scratched the head of his cat. "You're a very smart cat you know? You were helping the kids during class. If I didn't know any better, I would have thought that you memorized the alphabet and can really understand me."

"Meow," There was something strange with the tone Akashi used but the kindergarten teacher chose to pay no mind to it.

"But I wonder why you bit a while ago…" Kuroko pondered, looking at his left hand. The bite mark wasn't that visible anymore but it still felt a little stingy. "Did I scratch you in the wrong place?"

"Mrowl…" The kitten let out with an apologetic tone.

Kuroko's lips quirked up a little. "Don't worry, Akashi. I forgive you. I'm just wondering what I did to upset you."

The cat didn't answer and simply closed its eyes after letting out a yawn.

"Yeah, I'm sleepy too."

* * *

Akashi silently crawled out of its small soft bed and hopped up as inconspicuously as he could to Kuroko's. The bluenette was in deep sleep which wasn't really surprising. It was a few minutes past midnight already.

The cat looked at the left hand of the male teacher and watched as the mark disappeared. It was as though the furry feline hadn't even bitten the bluenette at all.

Suddenly a light came and surrounded the red feline. Kuroko simply turned his head slightly and covered his face to block out the light. He stirred slightly again but did not wake up. He was still asleep.

The bluenette did not notice the bed move slightly like there was another person sitting down on his bed. He simply moved again, closer to sudden source of warmth that revealed itself beside him.

Kuroko let out a relaxed humming sound when he felt a hand stroke his head soothingly. He could help but unconsciously grab the hand and pull it closer to his face.

"If you keep this up," A dark voice purred as Kuroko latched himself to the stranger. "I will never let you go."

The only response he got was a sleepy hum and the red head silently chucked to himself.

"You're in for quite a surprise tomorrow," Akashi smirked before placing a kiss on the bluenette's cheek and changing back to a kitten. The heterochromatic kit crawled under the bed sheets and made itself comfortable in between Kuroko's arms that seemed to be searching for the source of warmth that had suddenly appeared a while ago. They seemed to have finally relaxed and hugged the red kitten closer to his being.

"Meow~"

_Oh what fun tomorrow shall be~_

**End of Chapter.**

* * *

**OMAKE**

"Sign here," The person at the cashier said with a serious tone as he gave the piece of paper to Aida.

"What's this?" The brunette asked as she held the kitten she had just bought.

"I need you to sign here because it will certify that no one shall return this kitten to this shop no matter what."

"Eh?" Aida stared at the cute kitty with confusion. Who would even want to return this fluffy ball of adorableness? And without putting much more thought into it, she signed the paper.

"Here you go," The man took the paper immediately and shoo'ed the girl out of the shop.

"I wonder what that was all about." Aida wondered to herself. "That guy acted like you were a monster or something."

"Meow~"

**OMAKE 2**

History of Akashi's former owners

First owner: Almost died due to lack of oxygen. A shogi piece was found in his throat. How it got there was not explained. The cat was just sent back to the shop after the incident.

Second owner: Not yet found. The police could only find a cat with red fur in his apartment. The only lead they had was the blood found in the cat's food bowl. The cat was sleeping when the police came to the scene. After finding no evidence about the cat being part of the man's disappearance, he was returned to the shop.

Third Owner: Is currently in a mental hospital. Cannot stop muttering the words, "Red and Yellow".

(Skip to the last owner before Kuroko) Forty fifth owner: In a coma. Reason unknown. Never woke up after she first purchased the kitten.

No one ever noticed the very light mark on the former owners' hands.

What will be Kuroko's verdict?

* * *

AN: So it's finally here :D The rating might go up in the future and the KuroBasu characters will pop up one by one in the future. Akashi's secrets will also be revealed as each chapter comes.

Suggestions for the mischief our favorite heterochromatic red head should do? They're very much welcome!


	2. Crimson and Yellow

KITTY!

Kuroko lived a lonely life at home when he was not working with children in school. So Riko gave him a basket with a heterochromatic eyed red kitty in it. Seems normal right?

Pairing: Akashi x Kuroko

Disclaimer: I don't own KuroBasu!

AN: Hello guys~ I'm really glad that the story received positive responses There were some of you who were wondering if this story was going to be Rated M and I honestly don't know (I've never written smut before) so I'll leave it all up to you, the readers!

Would like to see their relationship escalate that high or would you prefer that it was only implied? Review or PM your choice

* * *

**Chapter 2**

"Are the manuscripts complete already?" Hyuga asked calmly as he entered the office. Kiyoshi made a hand gesture for the four eyed publisher to wait for a while since he was on the phone.

"Yes, I understand. We will continue to use your pen name," Kiyoshi nodded as he spoke while he kept his cell phone between his shoulder and ear and wrote down all the details on his pocket sized notebook. "…I will make sure that our superiors will be notified but you have to understand that your book is gaining popularity and you are no. 1 in the ranking polls for the past 4 months…..Alright, I'll give you a month to secure your personal belongings and work before we reveal your real name in your next release...Alright, I agree. Thank you. Have a good night."

The tall brunette sighed in relief when the call ended before turning to his colleague with a genuine smile on his face. "Yep, the manuscripts are complete. Already having them checked."

"This is why I think '_Suki Pink'_ is one of the best authors we've ever worked with," Hyuga commented as he took a seat. "She always gives all the requirements at least a week before her deadline! And she's one of our bestsellers!"

"Her stories are very nicely written and it's got at least half of the population in Tokyo hooked on her series." Kiyoshi replied as he hid the notebook he had written on in his pocket. " I myself like reading her '_Crimson Series'_."

"It's a really good series but I can't help but find it creepy." Hyuga said as he stared at the taller male. "It's based on a real serial killer in Japan who traveled across the world murdering politicians and the like before he settled down back here and massacred a number of scientists, doctors and many others who were concerned in the medical and scientific fields. They never found the culprit."

"Well, that's what made her books interesting." Kiyoshi pointed out while grinning. "She accurately tells the story about what the main Detective, Nijimura Shuzo, had to go through to gather information about the serial killer."

"Didn't that guy die?"

"According to the legal documents, he was initially declared as '_missing_' due to the lack of evidence but after 7 years, he was declared legally dead." The brunette explained, the grin on his face slowly faded away. "Though in her 2nd book, Suki wrote that the main detective died because he was killed by the hands of that serial killer. She was straight to the point."

Hyuga snorted. "I wouldn't be surprised if that really happened to Detective Nijimura. This guy has an insane sense of humor y'know?"

"Yeah…" Kiyoshi agreed, remembering the contents of the article he read from the older editions of the newspaper their company had published before about the serial killer who suddenly stopped causing chaos and havoc sometime 15 years ago. "The police found a glass of rainbow colored liquid in Nijimura's apartment 3 days after he went m issing. They identified the colored substance as blood."

Niji meant rainbow. How...disgustingly fitting.

"Let's stop talking about these kinds of stuff." Hyuga cut in, knowing that the usually bubbly brunette was bothered. "Have you read the message Riko sent last night?"

"Eh? She sent one?" Kiyoshi opened his phone and saw that there was indeed a message from their former coach.

"We're going to have a reunion this Saturday night at Maji Burger." The four eyed publisher said before his colleague could read the message.

Kiyoshi instantly brightened. "Really? That's great! I haven't seen the others in a while!"

"Riko also said that she finally got hold of Kuroko and gave him a pet cat yesterday to give him some company."

"Hum…How nice," Kiyoshi smiled with a thoughtful light in his eyes. "I wonder if that cat likes eating potatoes." Hyuga smacked his head at the random statement.

Someone please remind him how this goofball was called the Iron Heart again. Please.

* * *

"…I guess I'll have some scrambled eggs today." Kuroko muttered impassively as he rushed around the house again. He had woken up late today for some reason. Maybe he had been really tired again last night. Kuroko couldn't recall.

"Meow~" Akashi mewled happily as he lapped the milk in his bowl. The little guy seemed happy since he was the one who woke up Kuroko by licking his pale face and playing with his ridiculous bed hair.

The bluenette instantly prepared the meal and while he was concentrated on the eggs, Akashi finished his delicious milk. The red feline skipped over to the back of the bluenette's shoes. He sat down behind the feet of Kuroko while his tail waved behind him leisurely.

"…Today the kids are going to bring something for show-and-tell," Kuroko mumbled to himself, not noticing the Akashi or the playful aura that surrounded the cat. "I should bring a camera and take pictures of them then give copies to their parents. That would really make them happy."

While the bluenette was thinking of what else he should do to make the activity he planned more exciting, two strong muscle toned arms hugged him from behind.

"…I suppose that would be good – "Kuroko suddenly stopped talking to himself and pulled the arms off out of habit and said, "Kise-kun, please stop hugging me from behind, it's disturbing me right now – "

Kuroko paused abruptly. _Wait a minute!_ Kise-kun wasn't with him right now. That blonde was currently piloting an airplane to another country out there and Kuroko was in Japan.

The bluenette snapped his head back to look if there was anyone behind him but saw no one except a meowing red kitten on the floor who looked like he wanted to be picked up.

'_I must've been imagining it.'_ Kuroko thought as he smiled a little at the cute feline and picked the little one up then placed Akashi on his shoulder. A few moments later, the feline jumped up and landed gracefully on his head. He seemed to prefer staying there.

"You know Akashi-kun, I think I'm going a little mad." Kuroko sighed impassively as he turned the oven off. "I imagined someone hugging me and I can't help but think that a person was staring at me in my sleep last night. Maybe I'm not getting enough rest. I should definitely find a solution for this, it might disrupt my teaching."

While the bluenette placed his breakfast on his plate, the feline on his hair had an unreadable look on his face.

'_Kise, hm?'_

* * *

"Did Tetsu-nii bring Akashi?" Kuroko picked up the red eyed ball of fluff from the ground who waved his paw cutely at the small child.

The little girl squealed and the bluenette placed Akashi in her small hands. "Please handle Akashi-kun with care, alright?"

"Yes, Tetsu-nii!" The girl smiled sweetly before turning to her classmates while bringing the cat up into the air like he was a prize she won. "Yaay! I've got our King back!"

"Meow~"

"HURRAH!" The children cheered and started to rebuild the fortress they made yesterday. Kuroko took pictures of each and every single one of them while they played with one another.

'_It's fun to watch them while they're wearing such costumes,_" Kuroko thought, amused. All his students went all out with the Show-and-Tell activity earlier. There was one child who came to school in a chef's costume while carrying a tray of cookies. There were enough home made cookies to share to the whole class, including Kuroko and Akashi. Another came in with a paint-stained apron and showed the class her drawing of Akashi. It was a little disfigured (very great understatement) but the class clapped for her while the original himself did not look amused.

Some were rather extreme with their costumes and came to school dressed up as a rock star with all the make-up and clothes. Though they were only children, Kuroko had to admit, they looked rather epic. Such good parenting they were receiving.

"Hm?" Kuroko was brought out of his thoughts when he felt something get shoved into his arms. He put the camera down and placed all his attention on the two kids standing in front of him.

"We want Tetsu-nii to play with us too!" The little boy grinned.

"Asuna-chan found this dress in the costume chest and we thought that it could fit Tetsu-nii!" A girl continued. Dress? It did not look like a dress at all! It looked more like a gown! "Asuna-chan wants Tetsu-nii to play with us but he has to dress up as the queen."

Kuroko took it back, they were receiving very horrible parenting.

While the bluenette started explaining to the two why it was very unbecoming of a male teacher to wear a dress, Akashi was watching a young boy play with the ball he brought. He was dressed up as a basketball player.

"I don't know how to spin a ball around my finger yet," The boy pouted as he tried to keep the ball spinning on his finger but it fell for the umpteenth time that day. "I'll found out soon! My older brothers can do it so I will too!"

The ball fell down and bounced away from the child. Akashi hopped off of the stack of pillows he was previously lying on and jumped on top of the ball and started balancing himself on it. He easily got it and did not make a fool out of himself.

The kids were amazed and Kuroko took pictures as he chuckled quietly at the cute sight.

"So cute~" The kids squealed and clapped for the red feline.

The other children played around and ran after one another. Their teacher let them as long as they don't get themselves hurt or disturb others.

Kuroko put the camera down. "What's this...?" He looked through the pictures he took and saw one particular picture that seemed strange.

Earlier, while the children were playing, he had taken a picture of them with Akashi in the background on a stack of colorful pillows. But in the picture, it was a red haired man sitting down casually with a smirk on his face.

He blinked in surprise and took a closer look at the picture to see if he wasn't imagining it.

The man was gone. The cat was there.

Kuroko almost dropped the camera.

He was definitely going mad.

"Meow~" The bluenette flinched slightly in surprise before looking down to see a pair of heterochromatic eyes staring at him. It was as though those eyes could see right through him.

The kindergarten teacher bent down to pat the head of his pet cat and scratch its ears, making the feline purr in satisfaction at him.

**_RING~_**

"Children, it's nap time!" Kuroko piped up to the students.

"Aww..."

* * *

"...Finally, some peace and quiet..." The bluenette stretched his exhausted arms after tucking in the slumbering students who had made quite a large mess today. They tried to hide their 'Art Attack' by covering the painted floor with the costume box but the smell of drying paint caught Akashi's senses which caused the feline to paw at the chest.

He would have to speak the students about it after nap time. Fortunately, the carpet won't be permanently stained since the paint is washable.

"Nya~" Akashi rolled over the extra blankets that were placed on the floor then jumped on the soft unused pillows before he settled himself back on the stack of pillows the students left for the feline to sleep on during nap time.

'_I guess I'll just edit the pictures and delete the blurry ones when I get home.'_ Kuroko thought as he hid the device in his bag.

_Knock, knock,__ knock!_

"Eh?" The bluenette got up from his seat and quietly approached the door leading to the corridors and the other classrooms and opened it. No one was there. He took a few steps out and looked right and left to see if there was anyone nearby but not a single soul could be found.

He opted to check the other door. If you're wondering, there are two doors in the classroom. One that lead to the front yard and the other that he opened earlier. While Kuroko was sure that the knocking sound came from the one he had just opened, he might as well look at the other one.

The kindergarten teacher tip toed passed the sleeping students and concentrated on being as perfectly silent and unnoticeable (which didn't take much effort at all) as he could. He was so focused on not stirring up the children that he did not perceive the pair of heterochromatic eyes that were watching him.

"Hello?" Kuroko looked outside. Again, no one was around. He huffed lightly, it must've been a prank made by one of the older students but...

The bluenette closed the door before gazing at the clock. It wasn't time for the elementary students' break yet and the junior and senior high students don't usually visit during the morning sessions since their younger siblings usually take the afternoon sessions so they could go home together. (Kuroko takes the morning shift but sometimes works overtime)

Suddenly, he felt someone tap his shoulder lightly.

"Good Morning." Kuroko slowly turned his head to his left and saw a red headed male smile lightly at him. He couldn't really pick out the features of the man. All he could really see were very blurry red spots around. Kuroko couldn't make out his surroundings clearly for some reason.

Kuroko tried to snap out of his stupor and bowed a little shakily, "Good Morning, sir." At least the bluenette was able to make out the color of the man's eyes. His red and yellow eyes were twinkling with an unreadable light as he stared at the stunned bluenette.

...Red and yellow?

Involuntarily, he checked the sleeping place of his feline companion and saw that Akashi was gone.

The man's small smile turned into a smirk and Kuroko's left hand felt like it was burning.

"It seems that yours will be the most peaceful of them all." The man commented idly as he gripped the pained hand very tightly.

"Wha..." Kuroko's light blue eyes suddenly became distant as he desperately tried to stay awake. He tried to concentrate on the pain in his hand and not the drowsiness that was attempting to put him to rest. How peculiar, it felt like something was biting his hand just like Akashi did yesterday but it was so much more agonizing now.

The last thing he saw was a pair of cat like eyes.

Before everything went black.

* * *

"Waaah!" Loud sobs were heard from the classroom which caused Teacher Niki from the classroom beside them to rush out. Never had she heard cries or wails coming from Kuroko's room! Something must've happened!

"Excuse me," She opened the door and walked inside. Only a few students looked up while most continued to sob and wail. "What seems to be the problem?"

Unexpectedly, a few children latched themselves to the dark haired teacher as they cried, "Tetsu-nii won't wake up! We keep trying to...but he's still sleeping...Wake...Tetsu-nii!"

"Huh?" She tilted her head in confusion. Kuroko never slept on the job! Did he collapse? "Where is Tetsu-nii?"

The kids let her go before they pointed towards the entrance and Niki immediately walked towards the direction they were pointing at. She stopped in her tracks when she saw the sickly pale and still body of her colleague.

"..Aaah..." Niki was panicking. The woman knelt down and checked the man's pulse. It was there but very faint. What may have caused this? "Ah...Rina-chan..."

The teary eyed child looked up. "Yes, Niki-nee?"

The older woman placed her hands on the child's shoulders while she tried not to express how alarmed she was by the situation. "I need to make a call right now and while I do that, I need you to go to the clinic to call the nurse. Tell her that..."

"Tetsu-nii is fine," A blank voice spoke up. Niki almost fell down from shock. She glared daggers at the bluenette who was swaying slightly.

"Don't scare me like that!" She screamed in anger, making the children around her cry. Niki cringed at her mistake and at the shrieking noise.

"Shh..." Kuroko stood up as though nothing had happened and gestured for the children to come closer to him. They instantly complied and gave him a bone breaking hug while they cried to him what they thought had happened to him.

The story was very outrageous. Apparently, a monster came to eat the children and their Tetsu-nii came to save the day and protected them which was why he got very tired and went to sleep. Then before the monster really got disappeared, it cast a spell on him that would make him sleep for all eternity.

The bluenette sighed. Honestly, kids these days.

"I'm fine." Kuroko reassured the children as he gave them a small smile. They seemed to believe him but his colleague did not."

Niki poked his head. "You need to take a break for a while."

"I don't." Kuroko disagreed monotonously when he was sure that the children were out of hearing range. The woman gave him a long and hard look. "I'm fine. Just a little out of it I suppose."

"What happened back there?" She continued. "Your pulse was faint and I thought you were going to die! Do you know how worried I was? What if I hadn't gone to the classroom in time? How were able to get back up as though nothing happened?"

"I collapsed that's all." Kuroko answered dismissively with his infamous blank expression but if one were to look closely, you could that he was disturbed by the situation. "I think I imagined seeing a red haired man but..."

"Oh, you must've been reading the Crimson Series!" Niki realized, her face brightening with excitement. It was as though she had forgotten what had just happened.

'_She probably did'_ Kuroko thought. This particular teacher was always easily distracted.

"Honestly, you shouldn't spend one night reading those mystery books you like so much! You need to get some sleep. I know that Suki's books are interesting and all but it's not like her books are going to run away right and speaking of which, have you read till the latest book? It's really confusing and I want to hear your opinion about how..."

Kuroko glanced stoically at the rambling kindergarten teacher and cut in, "I haven't read the Crimson Series yet. I've been too busy with the children so I haven't found the time to visit the bookstores or buy books online."

"Eh? Really?!" Niki swung her arm around the bluenette and held him tightly. She definitely forgot that he had collapsed just a while ago. "Then you're missing a ton of things! I'll let you borrow my books tomorrow! I've got all 4 books and her next issue is coming out really soon! You don't mind if I spoil you a little right? So..."

The bluenette placed his hand on the dark haired woman's mouth before she could continue to talk. "I believe it's time for us to dismiss our students."

Nike turned her head and checked the time.

"What?! I didn't notice!" She smacked her head in exasperation. "Oh well! I guess we'll talk more about it on Monday! I'll bring my books so you can read the wonderful series. I'll even lend them to you for a few weeks! By then, we'll be able to chat more about what could happen in the next book! Bye!" She waved enthusiastically at him before rushing out the door.

"Wait!" Kuroko called out as he ran out of the door to catch up to her. "Did that red haired man in the book have red and yellow eyes?" He really didn't know why he was asking such a ridiculous question but he curiosity took over him for that very moment.

"Nope! He had crimson red eyes!" The last sentence was said in a very dreamily manner before the door was banged shut.

A sigh was heard."Wasn't it just a while ago when she was yelling my ear off for not taking care of my health?" Kuroko muttered under his breath while he walked back to his class to dismiss the children.

"Meow?" The bluenette looked down and saw a surprised expression on the young fluffball's face but there was also a look that showed that the cat had foresaw something despite being caught slightly unaware.

"...Red and yellow eyes..." Kuroko couldn't help but say thoughtfully when he looked at the cat. He shook his head to keep himself from getting distracted before picking up the cat. "It's almost time to go so you better stay in the classroom, Akashi-kun."

"...Meow."

The Kindergarten teacher placed the feline back to the ground and turned away to walk to the expectant looking students.

"Heh, you're very hard headed aren't you, Tetsuya?" A smooth voice chuckled from behind him.

Kuroko looked back in shock but saw no one. "Did you hear something?"

"No, Tetsu-nii." The class replied in chorus.

* * *

"I haven't seen you all since Kagami tripped over his toga and fell headfirst into his homeroom teacher!" Izuki grinned as he offered his friends some drinks he had ordered in advanced since he arrived there with Aida first.

"Is that idiot coming?" Hyuga asked as he grabbed the drink.

Koganei shook his head in disappointment. "Nah. This afternoon around 2, he passed by the Sushi Shop to order something and it so happened that I was on break at that time so I chatted with him for 10 minutes. He said something about a fire in one of the research facilities sometime during 10 to 11 am and Kagami said he had to go to the police station to give whatever evidence he and his teammates were able to recover to see if the fire was an accident or intentional. It killed at least a dozen people who worked there."

"I read about that." Tsuchida said. "It was posted online just a few hours ago."

Aida smacked the table. "Hey! We're not going to talk about some gruesome stuff! This is supposed to be a happy occasion so don't be so gloomy!"

"Mah, mah, Riko's right." Kiyoshi piped up as he put his drink down. "Let's change the subject - Have any of you guys read the Crimson Series?"

"Yes!" The group replied with twinkling eyes.

"No." A certain bluenette replied blankly from beside the brunette. They almost fell off their tables due to the sudden appearance of Kuroko.

"Oi!" Hyuga smacked the head of Kuroko. "How long have you been there?!"

"A few minutes I believe." He answered stoically before he grabbed his vanilla milkshake. "You all looked busy so I ordered a vanilla milkshake, took a seat and listened in to your conversations."

Kiyoshi grinned and ruffled the hair of the young bluenette. "Nothing much has changed in you, Kuroko! You're still the same as before!"

"How much did you expect to change in once year, sempai?" Kuroko asked blankly as swatted the hand off his hair.

Aida turned her head dramatically slowly and carefully with an expression of great disbelief on her face. "You haven't read the Crimson Series yet?"

"I haven't found the time to." Kuroko replied, completely unaffected by the incredulous expressions that came from his former schoolmates.

"WHA - "

"Anyway," Hyuga spoke loudly to interrupt the loud outburst. "I heard you got a cat."

"Ah, yes." Kuroko nodded impassively. "Aida-san abandoned the feline in my home just a few days ago."

Aida glared at the teasing bluenette. "I did not abandon him!" She pouted. The others laughed.

"What's the name of your new pet, Kuroko?" Izuki and Koga asked curiously.

"Akashi." The Kindergarten teacher answered.

Silence surrounded the group and Kuroko was greatly puzzled at the quietness of his companions. He questioned it out loud.

"Well..." Furihata scratched his head. "Um...Are you sure that you haven't read a single book from the Crimson Series?"

The bluenette shook his head. "I assure you, I haven't."

"Well you see," Kiyoshi started, completely dense as usual. "The Crimson Series is a series of books that was written by the young authoress, Suki Pink (that isn't her real name by the way). It's based on a serial killer whose identity has never been found out even with the clues to his identity that eye witnesses have given to the police. They only know that he has crimson red hair and crimson red eyes hence the name, Crimson Series."

Hyuga chose to continue. "I hope you don't mind hearing some spoilers, Kuroko." The bluenette shook his head. He didn't mind. "No one had a lead on him personally but investigators knew that he always targeted those who studied and worked under the field of science. Yes, he even killed students." His lips made a thin line.

"Anyway," Izuki cut in. "There was something strange about the people that man killed. After the murder, the police would investigate the dark histories of the hospital, medical school and those who were killed. They all had something in common."

"Which was?"

"They all dealt with experimenting with animals and humans." Tsuchida shuddered. He had goosebumps while reading the book and the old articles he found in the public library since he was curious about the serial killer. "Unexplained disappearances of people around the world suddenly had an answer because those peoples' corpses could be found in the hospital or medical school nearest to their homes. '_It was for the sake of science_' the survivors had reasoned but...what they were doing was just too inhuman. I can't believe they would do such a thing to a living being!"

"Of course, the author mellowed it down for the sake of those readers who had weak hearts." Aida nodded in approval at what the considerate woman did. "And as more information began to surface, the public started to support him and since no one knew of his real identity, they chose to give the man a name."

"His name suits him well." Kiyoshi stated as Kuroko's head tilted in curiosity.

"What was the name?" The bluenette inquired.

"Akashi."

_The Red King_

**End of Chapter.**

* * *

**OMAKE **

"KUROKOCCHI!" The bluenette moved his hand towards the speakers to lower the volume. "I missed you~"

"You usually don't have the time to video chat." Kuroko said, completely ignoring what the blonde had just said. "You're usually to busy. Did something happen?"

Kise nodded vigorously and started tearing up. "Something did happen! I suddenly felt a very cold chill down my whole being and got very numb. I almost crash landed the plane on the runway! It was a good thing no one noticed! I swear, I think there's someone out there who wants to kill me!"

"Are you sure you're not talking about Midorima-kun?" Kuroko asked impassively.

"No! I'm very sure it's someone else." The blonde said with as serious expression on his face. "I feel that it's someone very unexpected..."

'_You have no idea.'_ A certain feline thought as he stared at the former model's face. '_I'll remember you...'__  
_

"Is something wrong, Akashi-kun?" Kuroko asked after he bid farewell to his former classmate. "You seem to be in a bad mood."

"Meow~"

* * *

**Reply to Anonymous Reviews**

**nomnom: **It has been continued and will continue to continue until the end (does that even make sense xD) Well, I'm not really sure if I'll ever make it M but if readers want, then they'll get it :) Thank you for reading and reviewing!

**OrangeScribbles: **Aww Salamat po~ -hugs- Ang saya saya ko sa review mo~ Really happy to know that you likey :) I hope this chapter was good! Thank you for reading and reviewing!

**Fujoshi-tan: **Update is finally here! Suggestions for what may happen in the future are very much welcome :) Thank you for reading and reviewing~

**JustAnotherFan:** So happy to know that you find all my stories interesting! -gives cyber cookies- I really hope you liked this chapter :) Thank you for reading and reviewing!

**Yui Momo: **Good idea! hehehehe, fear the wrath of Akashi the cat! Watch out GoM~ Thank you for reading and reviewing!

**toushiro lover: **The chapter is here :D Hope you likey~ Thank you for reading and reviewing!

**Athena: **From Neko!Akashi to Human!Akashi, anyone would squeal~ Cute little fluffball to sexiness personified~~~ Thank you for reading and reviewing!

**Nyororo: **I hope you didn't wait too long! Here's the update! Till the next one! Thank you for reading and reviewing~

* * *

**AN: **I'm pretty sure some of you know who the author of this book is :) (hehehe you don't know who the author is in Time and Time Again though~) Please point out any mistakes that are there since I'm rather sleepy already and I don't think my drowsiness can find all the mistakes I made a few hours ago.

You guys would've killed me if I let the story end in the second chapter.

Really hoped you enjoyed!


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